Rain and Snowfall End Drought, But We’re Not Home Free

Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to officially declare the drought over on Wednesday when the latest Sierra snowpack readings are reported by the Department of Water Resources.

The end of the hydrologic drought is great news for watersheds and reservoirs that had languished through consecutive dry years in 2007, 2008 and 2009. But while a massive snowpack and nearly full reservoirs are welcome indeed, our water supply picture is about much more than what Mother Nature provides in a given year.

Drought declarations come and go, but they no longer capture the full extent of the state’s ongoing water supply challenges. Nor do they reflect the way our aging water supply system needs to be managed in today’s world of regulatory uncertainty, climate change and growing demands for more flexible water project operations.

With Endangered Species Act restrictions constraining our ability to move water through the Delta, State Water Project and Central Valley Project deliveries are not what they should be for such a wet year. As it stands, SWP customers can expect a 70% supply. South-of-Delta agricultural customers of the CVP are slated to receive 65% of their water supplies this year. Clearly, we are far from home free when it comes to water supplies.

The impressive snowpack and runoff this year certainly provide short-term help, but they will be little comfort a year from now if dry conditions return. Without the ability to capture, store and move that water, we are missing out on millions of acre-feet in the coming weeks that could be used to recharge groundwater basins for use in the inevitable dry times ahead.

We need a more flexible system that can meet our 21st century needs for water. That means a more flexible approach to regulation that recognizes the co-equal needs of water supply reliability and ecosystem health. It also means conveyance improvements in the Delta, additional storage both above and below ground, and investments in local resources development.

Californians also must continue to use water as efficiently as possible, even in wet years. Every bucketful saved inside or outside the home is water available for the next dry period.

As recent years have taught us, we can’t be complacent about our water supply – drought or no drought. We also can’t afford to let up on ongoing water conservation and our efforts to make needed investments in our system.